A Charmed Short Stories
by HarryPotter21
Summary: Scenes from the lives of the Charmed Ones and their children. Part of a Charmed Life/Future series.
1. Lego House

Lego House

* * *

Anakin sat on the bottom of the attic's stairs, hair still wet and pale blue shirt only half buttoned. He had half an hour before the limo would arrive as its last stop before heading to the high school. Despite looking forward to the fifth annual Winter and Ice Dance all year the events of the past week had driven it clear out of his mind until the previous night. Lucien and he had been fighting all week mainly through text messages as neither felt ready to have another screaming match. If it had been up to him he would have skipped the dance all together, but his position on the school's swim team required he make an appearance. The dance also served as the kick off party for the swimming season despite the depressingly cold weather.

Anakin fiddled with a button while he stared aimlessly at the mural of family pictures hanging on the opposite wall. He never really took the time to look at the pictures, but now he saw they told a story. It was a wall covered in the history of the Charmed Ones from a picture of his mother, Aunt Prue, and grandmother who was pregnant with his Aunt Phoebe to anther one of the three original Charmed Ones standing outside the Manor. His mother looked so young in the picture. Further down the wall was a picture of Phoebe and Paige all dressed up and another with his mother, dad, Wyatt, and baby Chris; his dad was blurred out in the picture. Then pictures started to include his sister Prue and finally him. Some had his cousins scattered throughout. The one that caught his eye was a candid shot of him and his mother when he was only three or four; he was laughing and his mom was grinning despite being covered in flour. They were a very happy family, and yet some part of him felt wrong.

He stood up and buttoned up the rest of his shirt. Deciding he probably should at least make an effort to tame his slightly too long hair he turned in the direction of the bathroom his once shared with his two brothers, but Chris was away for school and Wyatt lived in the apartment above his mother's restaurant in the city. Prue had recently moved across the country to share an apartment with their cousin and work on her cooking show. The Manor felt very big and empty without his siblings.

He reached the end of the hallway and spotted his father laying on the floor with a tool chest next him. An ornate but ancient cabinet was propped up on a bunch of books and his dad was half way underneath the precarious contraption.

"What you doing?" He asked crouching down next to his father.

Leo jumped and a crack told Anakin he had hit his head. "Annie! Aren't you supposed to be at the school?"

Anakin shrugged despite his father not being able to see him. "Still getting ready. So, what are you doing?"

Leo shimmied out from under the cabinet. "Your mother wanted me to wire the cabinet with lights, but it's too fragile to lay on its side."

"Right." Anakin raised his hand and healed his dad's forehead.

"Personal gain." Leo admonished, but he smiled.

Anakin shrugged again. "The Elders can torture me later for looking after my dad."

Leo arched an eyebrow. "Everything OK? You've seemed a bit down lately."

Anakin sighed and traced over the Celtic design of the cabinet's lower doors. "Luc and I are fighting."

Leo nodded sagely. "Everyone fights. It's completely normal."

"Yeah, but this feels different. We've not really talked for over a week and whenever we do it's to yell at each other. He texted me this morning saying he wasn't going to come tonight. Texted, dad!" Anakin punched the wall, hard. "I don't know what to do."

Leo hummed. "I—uhm—what are you guys—uh—err—fighting about?"

Huffing Anakin ran a hand through his hair. "Everything and nothing."

Leo was about to ask another question when Piper stepped into the passage.

"How's the cabinet, honey?" Piper asked, balancing a fill laundry basket on her hip.

"I need some stuff from the store still."

Piper shifted the basket to her other side. "Really? I thought you had Henry drop off more wiring."

Anakin noticed his father shoot a glance in his direction and could not help but smirk.

"My wire cutters snapped."

Piper gave him a disbelieving look. "Right, well hurry up. I want to move my great-aunt's china to this cabinet so I have room for the set Prue sent us last week downstairs."

Leo retreated giving Anakin an awkward good-bye salute. Feeling slightly better because of his father's antics Anakin headed into the bathroom. He was about to close the door when his mother stepped into the doorway.

"I take it that had something to do with you," asked Piper kindly. "Is everything alright, sweetie?"

Anakin pulled out a comb and a tube of gel. "Boyfriend problems."

Piper put down the laundry basket. "He still not coming tonight?"

Anakin shook his head as he rubbed gel between his fingers. He pulled his fingers through his hair giving himself the sexy bed hair so popular with the wannabes at his school. He stared at himself in the mirror and smirked remembering the last time his hair had naturally looked like this. The smirk vanished as his thoughts returned to Lucien. He nearly jumped when his mother placed a soft hand on his arm and squeezed; he had forgotten she was there.

"Everything will work out for the best," said Piper quietly. She reached up and brushed a few stray hairs back off his forehead. "You have your whole life ahead of you, sweetie."

Anakin turned around, comb in hand. "You never liked Lucien, did you?"

Piper frowned. "That's not true. I think he is a wonderful person, and he's made you very happy. There is just a part of me that wonders what would have happened if…"

"If the other Anakin and Lucien had not been here." Anakin finished for her turning back to the mirror and throwing the comb on the counter. "We'd all be dead, right?"

"Sweetie!" Piper wrapped him in a hug and he hugged her back. "Nothing is set in stone."

"I love him, mom. This isn't the other Anakin talking about Lucien._ I _love him." Anakin murmured into his mother's hair, not letting her go.

Piper hugged him tightly a moment longer and dropped her arms to her side. "So then what do you want to do, tonight?"

Anakin bit his lip. "The limo is going to be here any moment."

"It doesn't matter. What do _you_ want to do?" Piper picked up the comb and gel, packing them away in the draw.

Anakin took a deep breath willing himself to not break down. He had been strong the whole day; he would not start crying now especially in front of his mom. "I'm the captain of the team, and we're—we're—reigning state champions."

"I'm sure Harvey and Tyler can make one speech."

Anakin choked. "Not likely."

His two co-vice captains were excellent swimmers and extremely popular with the females of their school, but geniuses they were not. If it was not for their younger sister tutoring them every night, he doubted they'd be making their current passing rate of all Ds. They were his best guy friends outside of his family, but he would not trust them with anything that required thought. On the other hand most of the school would be wasted by the time of the rally speech.

"I have to text Serena," said Anakin searching his pockets for his phone.

"Do you want me to order some pizza, and we can have a movie night?"

Anakin forced a smile not that it was entirely difficult. "Thanks, Mom, but I think I just want to be alone for a bit."

"Right," said Piper, "well I'll be folding your dad's laundry if you change your mind."

Anakin found his phone and gave his mom a one armed hug. "Maybe later."

His mom exited the bathroom, and he entered his phone's pass code. He had four text messages from random people from school which he ignored. Three messages were from his sister asking him to send photos and wishing him luck for the night. He sent her a quick blurb telling her he was not feeling well and was not going to the dance. Half a dozen messages were from a girl he had foolishly flirted with a few weeks ago at Harvey and Tyler's birthday party; he deleted the whole bunch. Wyatt had sent him one message asked if he could fill in as a waiter tomorrow night at their mom's restaurant. He ignored that one, not feeling up to being guilted into helping; it was Wyatt's own fault he was short a waiter. There were no messages from Lucien and Chris still had not answered his previous message.

Anakin scrolled down to Serena's name and opened their conversation. The last message from around lunch time was from Serena inquiring about his outfit. After Lucien's text message he had immediately called Serena and she had convinced him to still go tonight. She had gone on further and said he should look "bloody fantastic" to ensure when Lucien saw pictures he would realize just how much he was missing. He really wished that Serena was still at their school, but she had been whisked away at the beginning of the school year by her father to some private school in England that was more suited to someone of her social standing.

He quickly typed out a message informing her that he would not be attending the dance and that they would talk later. He sent the message and said a silent wish that she would take the hint and not bug him about it. They usually saw eye-to-eye and rarely fought, but she could on occasion be a nuisance when it came to keeping up a public image. He could not blame her; it was how she was brought it. A car honked outside.

"I'll get that!" his mother called from down the hall.

Anakin sighed and pocketed his phone. "Thanks," he yelled back.

The limo would be filled with the swim team and their dates. They would also already know that Lucien was not going tonight. He was sure the girls would all be gossiping away about that and coming up with outlandish reasons for the trouble in paradise. Ordinarily he could ignore the gossip, but he was exhausted tonight.

A knock on the bathroom door announced Chris's presence.

"Chris!" Anakin exclaimed.

Chris smiled. "Hey. I take it you decided to skip the dance."

"Mom's getting rid of the limo."

Chris nodded along. "Well, I had the night off and thought I'd hang out with my baby brother."

Anakin laughed in disbelief. "Yeah, right."

Chris shrugged and led the way out of the bathroom and up to the attic. "Well, after the text this morning I was a bit concerned."

"It was about the use of runes in building wards."

Chris opened the attic door and flipped on the light. "Precisely. You never need help on homework."

Anakin ignored the opening and orbed the beanbag chair from his room into the attic. He dropped into it avoiding Chris's eyes. The message had been his way of trying to start a conversation with his brother, but it was much harder to ask the questions he wanted to with Chris in the same room as him. He picked at his nails as his older brother conjured a beanbag of his own and settled into it.

"So how is Professor Granger?"

"As boring as when you took her for Advanced Runes."

Chris chuckled. "Well at least she has other features that keep your attention."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "She's not my type."

"Oh, right—forgot." Chris grinned sheepishly. "Have you discussed the polarity of runes yet?"

"Oh yeah. She even assigned your term paper to us for homework reading."

Chris blushed slightly. "Seriously! She gave me a B on that."

"Oh the horror," mocked Anakin.

Chris conjured a pillow and chucked it at Anakin who covered his head with his arms. "I'll have you know that I actually put effort into that paper."

Anakin picked up the pillow and tossed it back at Chris. "Well clearly it grew on her even if the reversal of a warding system is still entirely theoretical."

They fell into silence. Anakin heard their mother come back into the house and shut the front door.

"So why aren't you going to the dance?"

Anakin pulled his knees to his chest. "Lucien isn't going."

Chris mouth formed a silent 'O'.

"We've been fighting lately."

Chris remained silent.

Anakin started to rock slowly. "He thinks—well—he thinks one thing and I don't agree."

"That tends to be how a fight starts."

Anakin glared at Chris. "I can't tell you."

"Is it something I don't need to know about?"

Anakin cringed. "God no! Gross! Ugh—me ask you about something like that. Are you crazy?"

Chris waved his hands. "Alright. Then it's a secret."

"Obviously," snapped Anakin.

"I'm just trying to help, Annie," said Chris placating.

Anakin squeezed his eyes shut. "Sorry. It's just a touchy subject."

Chris uncrossed his legs. "Do you think you can overlook it?"

"No," said Anakin slowly. Shaking his head he continued, "No."

"And you can't see any truth in his side?"

Anakin thought over everything Lucien had said about his beliefs on Jonathan's survival. "No."

Chris licked his lips. "Err—well what about him seeing things your way?"

Anakin sighed. "Thanks, Chris, but this isn't helping."

"So then what do you want to do?" asked Chris unfazed.

"Get drunk," joked Anakin.

Chris stood up abruptly. "That's easy enough…"


	2. Collapsible Lung

Anakin stood on the platform, toes gripping the edge. He looked to his left and met the goggled eyes of his teammate Tyler who was grinning like a maniac. To his right was his main competition the previous year's winner, Cameron van Wyk. Their heat times had been neck and neck, but now with the guy right next to him Anakin felt incredibly nervous.

He looked passed the man into the crowd in the stadium. He spotted the whole section taking up by his family; everyone had turned out to cheer him on in the State Championships. He could see Henry brooding on the very edge not even watching the pool. His two brothers were talking animatedly to a group of high school girls with their mother giving them admonishing glances between screaming his name. Anakin chuckled, knowing that his brothers were only talking to the girls to annoy their mother, all in good fun. His sister was tucked in next to her latest boyfriend who had insisted on joining the family. Both were smiling and waving at him, and he momentarily forgot he was supposed to hate the guy's guts on principle. Phoebe's girls had made posters and were waving them high in the air annoying the family behind them who could no longer see the race.

Next to his mother and father sat Lucien dressed in school colors of scarlet and grey. The elemental was busy in a lively discussion with Anakin's uncle Coop, but he continually glanced back at the pool waiting for the inevitable count down and gunshot. Anakin smiled to himself and faced forward once more. He faintly heard the impartial voice over the intercom announce the race, the 100 m breaststroke. This was his last race of the meet while his team still had the relay.

"On your marks, get set…" BANG!

Anakin dove off the platform and into the refreshingly cool chlorinated water. He started swimming, thrusting his arms out and in a wide sweeping arc back down. Each stroke propelled him faster through the water. He broke the surface only briefly for a breath, focusing on reaching the edge. His fingers brushed the smooth tile and he twisted himself around. A strong push off the wall and he was flying back to the finish line. He had some idea that he was far ahead of his teammate who had only entered this stroke on a dare. The slightest of tilts gave him the briefest view of his competition. They were neck and neck and Anakin started swimming faster. He made each stroke count, kicking harder with his legs. His lungs screamed for air and his muscles burned worse than any fire ball. He had to win.

A final stroke brought him within inches of the wall and the finish line. He stretched out and felt his fingers brush against the slippery tile. His head broke the water and he heard a thundering scream that hurt his ears. He turned on his back and took a deep breath and viewed the board, which indicated their times. His name flashed followed by 59.01s and his heart stored. Even if he had not won he had broken his personal best time and that was a victory in and of itself. Then the name van Wyk, Cameron popped onto the board and he held his breath. The name vanished and the time appeared 59.03s. He wanted to scream and pump his arms in the air, but that was considered unsportsmanlike. Instead he turned to Cameron and held out his hand.

Cameron grasped it tightly breathlessly he said, "congratulations. You deserve it."

Anakin grinned and shook Cameron's hand. "You're an excellent swimmer."

Cameron accepted the complement with a smile. "A second faster and we could have broken the record."

Anakin laughed. "Next time, yeah?"

Cameron nodded. "I'll see you in New York then." And he climbed out of the pool, muscle flexing in all the right places.

Anakin turned away, blushing slightly. He turned to his teammate and clapped him on the back. "Great time, Tyler."

Tyler smirked. "But his body is better."

Anakin punched him playfully. "You haven't seen Lucien shirtless."

Tyler pretended to gag. "Right, lets go shower and join the rest of the team in the festivities."

Anakin agreed and pulled himself easily out of the pool and onto the wet edge. He waved briefly in the direction of his family before following Tyler to the line of showers behind the rest of their team. Anakin felt hand after hand slap him on the back and heard the hand's owner congratulate him. His coach was overwhelmed and actually picked him up in a bone-crushing hug, which embarrassed him as much as it did Anakin. Finally he made it to the showers and turned one on and stepped into the ice-cold stream of water. He smiled madly as he pictured his time flash across the screen.

Tyler brought him back to reality by pulling back on the elastic of his swimming jammers and letting go.

"Fuck it, TYLER!" curse Anakin rubbing his stinging waist.

Tyler offered him an innocent smile. "We have to watch the relay, remember."

Anakin rolled his eyes. It would take a good ten minutes for them to set up the relay. Tyler run a hand over his short light brown hair and sprayed Anakin with water. Before Anakin could retort they were joined by Tyler's identical twin Harvey who wore speedos to allow their coach to easily tell the two apart as Tyler wore jammers like Anakin and most of guys on the team.

"So was Cameron pissed?" Harvey asked.

Anakin shook his head.

Tyler answered, "He wants to fuck our little friend here so he can't be mad."

Anakin once again punched Tyler this time on the arm, while Harvey doubled over in laughter.

"He does not!"

Harvey stood up straight and looked at him right in the eyes. "You didn't see him checking you out before the race. I wouldn't be surprised if that was why you won. He got distracted by that delicious ass of yours when you bent down."

"Fuck off," said Anakin as he felt his cheeks heat up. Despite being with Lucien for so long and certainly no longer a virgin any talk of sex still managed to make him blush. He mock stormed off to join the rest of the team and left his friends laughing at his expense.

Serena wrapped in a fluffy white towel and her hair wrapped up in the usual scarlet towels the school provided joined him when he sat down on the team's bench. She offered him a fresh scarlet towel.

"Congrats. You were amazing."

Anakin dipped his head to avoid meeting her gaze as he took the towel. "Thanks."

"You just placed in nationals," continued Serena.

Anakin looked up. "Yeah, I did. Didn't I?" His grin returned.

Serena joined him in smiling. "I'm sure coach won't mind if you go join your family."

Anakin glanced at the stands and saw to his embarrassment that his family was still going crazy over his victory. "I might have to get them to calm down or they'll get kicked out."

Serena laughed. "Well I'm glad your family knows how to celebrate. You know what my dad did when I told him that I got first place in backstroke?"

Anakin cringed, imaging all the possibilities of Mr. Capell's actions. "What?"

"He told me that swimming was undignified. Bugger him!"

"I think you were brilliant." Anakin said giving her a friendly and supportive hug.

"At least my mom said she'd throw a party when we get back. You think you'll be able to come?"

Anakin nodded vehemently. "Of course. Can't miss a Serena Capell party."

Serena laughed. "Well, off you trot. I'm sure Lucien will want to show how proud he is of you."

Anakin shook his head and stood up. He wondered over to his coach who was in the middle of giving Harvey some last minute pointers. "I'm going over to my family for a bit, alright?"

He did not wait for a response, but threw on his jacket sporting the team's name and his last name on the back. Supporting other members of the team was mandatory, but he was too giddy to really pay attention to the relay. As he walked passed the team from Los Angeles Cameron caught his eye. The muscular blond had a towel wrapped around his waist and gave Anakin a thumbs-up. Anakin waved back and continued on doing his best to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. He reached the edge of the floor and was let through to the fan side by a burly Asian gentleman who only had one facial expression.

As soon as he finished climbing the short set of stairs into the stands he was bombarded with family members. His aunts both smothered him with kisses probably leaving behind lipstick impression all over his face but he could only laugh and join in with their excitement. Penny and Pyrrha were more subdued with their congratulations while Paisley, Patty, and Payton copied their mother in showing their excitement. Henry Jr. gave him the briefest of head nods and small smile which he returned whole heartedly. Coop and Henry clapped him on the back and shook his hand.

He found his mother in the midst of the mob that was his family. She beamed with pride and gave him a hug before kissing him on both cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie."

Anakin felt his cheeks warm up again but this time he did not care. "Thanks, Mom."

His dad was next in line and gave him a tight embrace, but was cut off from offering congratulations by Prue who pushed her way in front of their father.

"You were fantastic, Annie! Absolutely amazing! Kyle couldn't believe it when you got ahead of that other dude—err…"

"Cameron." Anakin filled in automatically.

Prue grinned broadly. "Yeah! He's dreamy."

Kyle who had been standing to the side made a noise of disapproval.

Prue turned around and pulled him against her. "Don't worry, I don't think he has eyes for me."

Anakin could see where his sister was going and interrupted her. "Where are Wyatt and Chris?"

Prue indicated to a spot further up the stands. His two brothers had moved on from the high school girls they had been chatting up. Wyatt was talking to a young woman who even Anakin recognized as beautiful with flowing brown hair and dark tanned skin. She had to be an older sister to someone competing because she was definitely not in high school. Chris was talking to the girl sitting next to the one who had Wyatt's attention. Neither member of that conversation seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

"Trust Wyatt to pick up someone at a high school function," said Anakin loudly.

Wyatt spun around and stuck out his tongue before returning to his conversation. Anakin smiled and indicated that Chris should come down and talk to him for which Chris was clearly grateful. Anakin was about to ask his sister another question when someone came up behind him and wrapped their arms around his waist. Anakin slowly turned around and smirked.

"That all you got?"

Lucien who was smiling as broadly as anyone else in his family shook his head. The elemental bent in and kissed him on the lips. "Well done."

Anakin lent in closer and rested his forehead against Lucien's. "Thanks. Glad you could make it."

Lucien kissed him again for a bit longer. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Anakin gently broke out of Lucien's embrace and took the elemental's hand in his own. "So you going to ask that chick out?"

Chris rolled his eyes and patted Anakin on his head. "Good job, bro. You smashed my record."

"That I did," said Anakin cockily.

Chris chuckled. "We'll have to have a match this summer."

"You're on," agreed Anakin accepting the challenge. "So how's school?"

Chris shrugged. "It's school. How's living with Wyatt again?"

Anakin playfully scowled. "I forgot that he uses all the hot water. I thought it was Prue."

Prue who had been whispering something into Kyle's ear glared at him. "HEY!"

Anakin laughed and rubbed circles with his thumb on Lucien's hand. "So what are we doing after this?"

"Mom's closed down Halliwell's for the afternoon," answered Prue.

Anakin nodded. "Perfect. Serena's having a party tonight for whoever want to go." He said this looking directly at Chris who shuffled his feet and looked away.

BANG!

Anakin turned around and caught the tail end of the splash as the relay got underway. He let go of Lucien's hand and snaked his arm around the other boy, pulling him close.

"Let's go MARCUS! COME ON! You can do it!" He joined in with the crowd's screams of support.

He felt Lucien's arm wrap around him and he turned to give his boyfriend a much longer kiss, forgetting the world around him.


End file.
